, 1887-08-24
LOST IN THE FOG.
n. p. Johnson and Family Suffer
From Cold Yesterday.
Wandering About in a Storm on a
Summer Day.
Serious Mishaps Encountered on
a Short Journey.

H. P. johnson and wife and two
daughters arrived in the city from their
Lower Horse creek ranch at l o'clock
this morning In a very sorry plight.
They started for Cheyenne about 5 o'clock
yesterday morning. At that time 1t was
rather cold and a light rain was falling.
Before they had been on the road
thirty minutes the rain suddenly changed
to heavy fog. Mr.. johnson well knew
that he was in danger of being lost, but
having travelled the distance in many
severe winter storms he felt confident that
he could land himself and family in
Cheyenne in about the usual time.
Before the party were fully aware of
the fact they had left the read and were
driving across the prairie they knew not
where. To make matters worse the two
girls, who are aged s and 10 respectively,
began crying from fear and cold, while
Johnson's hands became so benumbed
hat he could scarcely hold the lines.
Mrs. johnson was the only member of
the family who retained any presence of
mind. She advised her husband to
leave herself and the children, o
one of the horses and search for the road.
johnson did as requested by his better
half, and after riding and walking for
over an hour, succeeded in again locating
the regularly travelled route. In the
meantime the brave mother had encour-
aged her children and caused them to
become warm again by generous exercises.
As johnson was ~galloping back to his
family with the joyful news that he had
found the road, the horse on which he
was riding stepped into a gopher hole,
and falling, threw the rider fully twenty
feet. Beyond a few slight bruises John
son was not injured, and ~remounting the
animal he reioined his family. Attaching
what he now calls his emergency horse to
tie wagon, the ranchman and his family
were soon once more enroute to the CAPT
tai city.
Their troubles had just begun, however.
After driving in the road for about all
hour, it apparently disappeared again.
johnson, in the face of the earnest pro-
tests of his wife, determined to continue
without leaving his seat. In this he acted
unwisely, for they had not proceeded over
500 yards when one of the wagon wheels
struck a large rock and upset the rig,
throwing the occupants into the mud with
more or less violanca
When the horses were quoted and an
inventory taken it was discovered that
while none of the party were seriously
hurt, the running gear of the wagon was
badly damaged, one hind wheel being
completely wrecked.
A period of three hours elapsed before
johnson secured and placed in position Il
pole to act in lieu of the lost wheel and
again found the slippery road.
All went very well with the party until
they neared the city, when the glimmcr-
ing Of the electric lights caused them to
lose the road innumerable times. Upon
several occasions the horses were driven
into barb wire fences, but without serious
results. Mr.. johnson said to a reporter
this morning that never again would
he risk the lives Of himself and family by
driving into the city after night.
Had the family been compelled to re
main outdoors in the weather which pre-.
vailed yesterday, colds would certainly
have been contracted which would, to say
the least, have been conducive to long i'll
ness and perhaps worse results.